American rain
by gwluver
Summary: same as old story except rewritten. those of you who were reading start at chap.4 thanx.rating will probably change with later chapters so read the AN when they are present.
1. Chapter 1

American Rain 

Author's note: this is the same story as before. I do believe that I stated the last time that I would be pulling the story to combine chapters and make adjustments as I saw fit. Please enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. Ame and her friend Alex belong to my friend and me. Please do not mind the rating it is such for content in later chapters. From here on out there will not be a disclaimer at the head of the chapters, this disclaimer goes for all of the chapters that follow. DO NOT ASSUME THAT THIS IS A SLIGHT TO THE REAL OWNER OF INUYASHA. I simply hate writing the disclaimer on every chapter, so this first one will have to suffice for the following chapters.

"Why can't it stop raining?" cried an exasperated redhead as she slammed her locker closed.

"We haven't had any rain for three months, and when we do finally get it you complain?" asked a blonde girl standing next to her.

"Ya' know what Alex," the redhead turned to face her friend, " This means that I have to stay inside today!"

"Awe…poor Ame." Alex snickered. "Want me to come over?" 

"No. Mom'll probably drown you in tea again." Ame said, "Besides you have something going tonight dontcha?"

"Oh yeah. Have fun all by yourself then." Alex turned to leave, "Check out your attic, maybe you'll find something to inspire your writing."

"Right. All I will find up there will be mothballs and cobwebs."

Alex's laughter followed Ame out into the downpour. As she got closer to home, Ame felt as if she might actually find her muse that afternoon after all.

Sesshomaru was sitting in a tree, casually surveying the area that Rin was currently playing in. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he still had a feeling that something was going to happen.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Master Jaken has disappeared again." Rin called out.

Sesshomaru barely gave the human girl a glance before he was scooping her up out of the jaws of a worm-like demon. Of course, this lowly demon was no match for the demon lord's poisoned claws and was destroyed in the blink of an eye. Rin was now standing off to the side cheering and clapping ecstatically.

"Rin, Jaken is up in that tree." Sesshomaru pointed to a scraggly looking tree to the left of Rin.

"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru." Rin scampered off to roust Jaken from his hiding place.

Ame had made it home looking every bit the drowned rat. Quickly, she changed into a pair of ripped jeans and a black spaghetti strap tank, and padded barefoot up the stairs to the attic of her two-story home. Once in the dark attic room, Ame was surprised to discover the attic jammed full of boxes and trunks of varying sizes. Silently she made her way through the melee of miscellaneous mountains of stuff to open the singular window.

As the weak light from outside filtered in, it illuminated something in the far corner. If the object had looked like anything else, Ame would not have thought twice about it, but it looked so out of place her curiosity gat to her. As she drew nearer to the object, she was mildly surprised to see it was an ancient samurai suit of armor.

'I wonder what this is doing here. Grandma said all of Nikki's things had been given to a museum.' Ame thought.

Ame looked down at the floor to make sure she would not step on any sharp objects when she saw the paper seals on the floor ringing the suit of armor. She knew Nikki had dabbled in magic, but nothing had ever come from the strange pastime. Hell, she herself had tried some of the strange incantations after having read Nikki's books and diaries.

Completely disregarding the little pieces of paper, Ame entered the circle around the armor and suddenly felt a change in air pressure around her. The seals quickly withered to dust and allowed the armor to glow a light blue. Ame's eyes went round with surprise as she tried to step back.

Sesshomaru felt a sudden change in the air around him. Never had he encountered such a strange air current. Tensely he waited for the oncoming attack.

Ame tentatively grabbed the armor to steady herself as she felt the floor shift beneath her feet. The only problem she was encountering was that the suit was falling taking her with it. She prayed that that armor didn't' break as they crashed into the wall behind it. After a while did she realize that she was still falling, and not hitting anything solid.

'I know my attic isn't this big or this chilly, so what's going on?' Ame thought frantically


	2. Chapter 2

American Rain 

After what seemed like an eternity of falling, Ame let go of the armor to brace for impact when she heard a sickening crunch. 'Oh shit!' she thought as she collided with something soft yet distinctly rigid.

Sesshomaru had watched as a black dot appeared in the sky and he attacked without hesitation. The only problem being the slight miscalculation: what was behind the armor. By the time, this had crossed his mind the lord had been grabbed around the waist…by a human. Sesshomaru could barely contain his disgust at such an event occurring.

Ame quickly released the object she was currently clutching desperately. This belated reaction rewarded her with a stinging pain in her knees as they connected with the ground. She glanced up to see a person coming at her with preternatural speed and a cloud of hatred surrounding them. Without taking the time to think, she muttered the first thing that came to mind, "CULTIVA CAMPO!"

As soon as he heard the hunched over human mutter something, Sesshomaru found himself defending against rapidly growing vines. His two companions stared in horror as the vines threatened to overtake their lord.

"Staff of Heads!" Jaken yelled after the initial shock wore off. The mentioned staff let loose a huge flame at the unruly vines.

Ame watched with morbid fascination as the vines appeared and attacked the oncoming fury. She swallowed noisily as a huge flame appeared and burnt her defense to a crisp moments later. With wide eyes, she finally glanced at her attacker only to see him staring murderously at her. She took in the crescent moon on his forehead and the maroon stripes on his cheeks.

"Sesshomaru." Ame whispered. How many times had she seen that face in Nikki's books and shuddered? Now here she was face to face with the taiyoukai of the West and she was scared. Before she could censor the comment, Ame found herself saying, "The god damned baka!"

Sesshomaru had heard the foreign girl whisper his name. 'So she knows who I am.' He thought, but when he caught the last comment she made, he was hard pressed to refrain from growling in annoyance. 'She reminds me of someone.'

Ame stood and looked squarely at the demon before her, trying desperately to keep her fear at bay. Then to her astonishment, she saw the strangest thing occur. From her left, a little girl and toad ran towards the demon lord. They seemed completely oblivious to her presence at that time, so Ame decided that it would be best to take her leave rather than bait the infamous taiyoukai. She began to search for her ticket home: the armor suit.

"Lord Sesshomaru are you okay? Rin was worried Sesshomaru-sama was hurt." Rin asked, worry lacing her question.

"Of course Lord Sesshomaru is okay, he is too strong to be defeated by mere vegetation." Jaken snapped, "My Lord…"

"Jaken, take Rin away from here and make sure she does not come back." Sesshomaru issued the command coldly.

"But m'lord!" Jaken squawked.

"Go now Jaken, I must finish this poor excuse of a human off immediately." Sesshomaru watched Ame intensely.

"She's a human?" Jaken asked startled.

"Where's a human Master Jaken?" Rin asked turning to face Ame's direction. All of them were watching the newcomer with mixed feelings.

Ame was frantically searching for the armor, but to her dismay all she could find were little charred pieces of said suit. With a frustrated groan, Ame wailed, "That was probably my only ticket back home!"

Rin had watched as the human girl fell to her knees an began looking at the ground for something the little girl turned to her benefactor and asked, "Should we help her Lord Sesshomaru?"

"No Rin. She is a lowly ningen." Jaken squawked before Sesshomaru had a chance to speak.

"Rin is going to help the lady find what she is looking for." Rin decided, and ran over to Ame.

Ame was busy picking up the little charred bits of armor when she heard someone approach her. Slowly she glanced at the intruder, only to face the little girl she had seen running to the demon lord.

"What are you looking for? Rin's name is Rin and she will help the pretty lady find what she lost." The child beamed happily at Ame.

Surprised, Ame stuttered, "I…I am gathering the pieces of a suit of armor. Hopefully, these will help me get back home. My name is Ame."

"How will these little pieces take the pretty lady back home? They cannot walk or fly. Rin is confused." A frown creased the little girl's forehead.

Without thinking, Ame blurted out, "How can you travel with that loathsome dolt Sesshomaru?" Gritting her teeth was all the redhead could do as the question escaped her.

"Lord Sesshomaru protects Rin." The child replied with a giggle, Ame's comment having flown above the girl's comprehension.

"But he kills humans…for fun!" Ame was confused by Rin's blind faith in the taiyoukai.

"Rin is an exception." Ame heard the icy voice of said demon lord.

"Why would someone like you abandon your principals for a singular child?" Ame demanded coldly as she stood up.

Sesshomaru just glared back at the redhead. He could not help but think that she reminded him of someone, problem was he could not think of who the person was.

Ame waited impatiently for the taiyoukai to address her, when he did not move to do so she asked icily, "Are you going to get out of my way or stand there daydreaming all day?"

Sesshomaru looked into the indifferent green eyes of the redhead. He was briefly amused by the girl's boldness in standing up to him and then berating him. He was looking forward to putting her in her place, or breaking her completely. "Go home human." He commanded.

Ame's back became ramrod straight and her eyes crackled with defiance. There was no way she was going to take orders from this guy, it did not matter that he was some hotshot demon lord, she was not his servant.

"Shove off pretty boy!" She snarled.

Rin and Jaken were apprehensively waiting for Sesshomaru's move. For his part, Sesshomaru simply turned on his heel and walked away from the bristling Ame. "You are no match for this Sesshomaru, you pathetic human."

Ame smirked and replied darkly, "That's exactly what you said to Nikki, and she gave you one of the worst defeats you ever had to suffer." Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks.


	3. Chapter 3

American Rain 

'There was no way this girl could know about Nikki.' Sesshomaru thought, 'Nikki was here over 300 years ago.'

"Milord…how is it that a mere child knows about Nikki?" Jaken asked.

Ame was watching the taiyoukai's rigid back until she was sure that he no longer cared to converse with her. She turned to the west, and began walking away. She wanted to remove her person from the inevitable explosion that was Sesshomaru's wrath. She had gone less than twenty feet when she felt the furious gaze of the demon lord bore into her retreating back. She fervently wished that he would consider leaving her in peace for now. Nikki was her great-great-great grandmother, or something like that, and she respected the deceased woman greatly right now.

'Now I know why the armor was stashed in our attic now. It was her key to coming here.' Ame thought, 'I wonder why she never destroyed the thing after her last trip to the past.

After having left the fuming Sesshomaru, she lost herself in her thoughts and was unaware of the village she was passing through. Though the villagers were used to seeing one girl in strange clothing Ame was still gawked at while she walked through the main dirt road.

"If you do not watch where ye are going, ye might run into something." A voice crowed, snapping Ame from her thoughts.

"Huh?" Ame asked confused, absorbing her new surroundings curiously.

"Ye are not from around here are ye? I am Kaede, the village priestess." An old woman said, claiming the voice of Ame's distraction.

"My name is Ame." Ame offered the old woman her hand. "I should warn you, Sesshomaru is nearby and I think he is a trifle upset with me."

Kaede gave Ame a surprised look, "Ye are lucky to be walking then, usually any human that dares insult that demon is destroyed."

"That's what Nikki wrote about him too." Ame replied. "Do you know how I can get home from here?"

"For your journey, I cannot help you. Who is this Nikki ye spoke of?" Kaede asked and began walking to a hut.

"She was my great-great-great-grandmother. She happened upon a way to get to this time via a suit of armor, but that stupid dog destroyed it." Ame replied following the ancient woman.

"She is a priestess then this Nikki?"

"I guess she was something of that nature, I only know about her from her notes on magic that seems to only work here." Ame shrugged her shoulders.

"From your tone this ancestor of yours is dead, and you are here in her place." Kaede stated the obvious connection.

"No kidding!" Ame rolled her eyes, "I have no clue what to do here!"

"You might be able to help Inuyasha and Kagome look for the jewel shards." Kaede said then asked, "Are you hungry?" they had reached her hut at the edge of the village.

"Yes I am but don't trouble yourself over me," Ame said as her stomach grumbled. Ame seated herself on the wooden floor, "Would it be possible to get a cup of tea though?"

"Certainly child," Kaede handed the girl a cup of tea, "But you should eat and rest here for the night. One never knows what is out in the woods."

"You wouldn't mind?" Ame looked skeptically at the old priestess, "Then I will do whatever you need me to do." Ame bowed respectfully to Kaede.

"It is no trouble. I am used to having unexpected guests."

"Who is Kagome? And is Inuyasha a demon?" Ame asked.

"Kagome is from your time and she travels between this time and hers." Kaede explained, "Inuyasha is part demon." Ame let the explanation go at that. She spent the night at Kaede's hut.

Sesshomaru had watched as Ame walked away from him. The only human to have ever stood up to him and walked away alive was Nikki. The human witch had gotten the better of him with her magic and then a handful of dirt in his face. She used the dirt to aid her in battle so that he could be brought to his knees after she tripped him. The defeat was humiliating; after that he had never seen Nikki again for a rematch.

Now she was back in the guise that redheaded wench. Sesshomaru saw his chance for revenge in the redhead. Even though Ame was not Nikki, defeating her would help his ego. Now, all he had to do was defeat the green-eyed wench when he found her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, can Rin have hair like Lady Ame?" Rin asked hopefully, breaking the taiyoukai's train of thought.

"No Rin." He replied stonily and walked away.

Rin shrugged and scampered after her favorite demon leaving Jaken in his thoughts. The toad demon had heard rumors about his lord being defeated by a mere human but had not believed such a thing. Now, he was not too sure and waited for the next confrontation between the two.

The morning dawned bright and warm. Ame was up with the birds and helping Kaede when they heard some of the trees in the forest get knocked down.

"What happened?" Ame asked as she set down the load of kindling she was carrying.

"Just a fight between two demons that should be broken up." Kaede replied casually.

"I can go take care of it for you." Ame offered, then added, "It's the least I can do for you."

"Will you be able to handle two demons at once?"

"Don't know unless I try. Thank you for everything. Good bye Kaede." Ame waved and headed towards the forest. Kaede could not do anything to stop her because Kagome had just pulled up along side her.

Ame was running towards the falling trees, when she felt eyes on her back. She could not see anybody around so she put some defense in place. She knew she was close to the battle when the tree in front of her fell over and revealed a clearing of downed trees. In the center of the disaster, she could see two demons, of unknown species to her, fighting over a tiny object between them.

"Immobilus!" Ame shouted before the two could attack each other. The muscles of one of the demons went rigid and he fell over. The other demon seemed immune to the spell and got ready to pounce on her when he was ripped apart from behind. There stood the last person she wanted to see: Sesshomaru.


	4. Chapter 4

American Rain 

Sesshomaru had been watching the two demons fight for the past ten minutes when _she_ showed up. She had frozen the weaker of the two demons and just to spite her, he had killed the other one. He watched her impassively as she regarded him.

"Have you come to kill me Sesshomaru?" Ame asked calmly. Sesshomaru was caught off guard by her cool question. This was turning out like the day her had battled Nikki.

"I'm waiting dog breath." Ame snapped, purposely reciting something that Nikki had said. She was hoping to provoke his rage making it easier to defeat him.

"You will pay for you insolence human." Sesshomaru bristled at Ame's remark. He knew she was purposely baiting his temper, and he was letting her do it.

"If you are only here to stare at me, I am afraid I am going to have to cut our pleasant conversation short." Ame sighed dramatically, "You see I have an appointment with Inuyasha that I simply must attend."

Ame watched as her last statement caused the ice lord to visibly flinch. 'Bingo. I guess I touched a nerve with that one.' She thought as she made a point of turning to leave. Ame had not taken more than three steps when she felt icy claws grab her by the throat from behind.

Sesshomaru could handle Nikki's insults being thrown in his face, but hearing her dismiss him for that filthy hanyou brother of his was salt on an open wound. He covered the distance between them and forcibly grabbed her throat. He smirked when he felt her pulse jump at the contact. Carefully, he squeezed, being careful not to let his claws sink into her pale skin. Ame was quick to recover from the feel of sesshomaru's claws around her neck. She smiled faintly before trying to turn around to face the angry demon lord. Sesshomaru was getting ready to apply more pressure to Ame's throat when they were attacked by the demon Ame had immobilized earlier.

Sesshomaru let go of Ame's throat to dispose of the demon in a flash of claws. He was not surprised when the redhead took the opportunity to flee. As he followed he was surprised to find her waiting in the next clearing for him and laughing. The clearing was significantly closer to Kaede's village, and Sesshomaru knew Inuyasha was not too far away.

"I am going to end this once and for all witch." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Ame.

"What's the rush dog boy? It's such a nice day to have a battle." Ame replied coyly. "So why don't we make this as fun as possible?"

Sesshomaru watched as Ame's hand glowed a pale blue. He instinctively reached for the Tensaiga as she knelt down. He felt the cold before he actually saw the change in the trees and ground. 'She is a witch of higher order than any priestess.' Sesshomaru thought.

"Are you ready now milord?" Ame asked bestowing a mock bow in his direction.

Sesshomaru charged at the seemingly unarmed human and found himself slipping. He looked down to see he was skidding on a solid sheet of ice. He shot Ame an angry scowl and found her watching him with classic amusement in her eyes. The taiyoukai slid to a halt, trying to find a better way to attack. Before any solution could present itself, Inuyasha burst through the trees on his right. The newcomer, who was going after Sesshomaru, was sent swiftly into the nearest tree courtesy of the ice.

"It seems we must delay our fight yet again dog breath." Ame said disdainfully as Inuyasha's companions approached. She turned to go; Sesshomaru tried to follow her, but was stopped by the shattering of ice. He was forced to shield his eyes from the onslaught of ice slivers, thus losing sight of the red-haired witch. The clearing was now back to its original condition.

"You have interfered in my affairs for the last time half-breed." Sesshomaru prepared to destroy half brother when he heard the hanyou's priestess yell.

"Inuyasha…sit boy!"

"What is Sesshomaru doing here?" Sango asked as they approached the clearing.

"Who was that girl?" Miroku asked and was rewarded with a resounding smack to his head from Sango. "She looked to be wearing pants and her undershirt only!" the hentai exclaimed.

"So why are you wasting your time on a human Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha snapped rising from his temporary crater.

Instead of answering, Sesshomaru turned in the opposite direction of Ame and walked away. The Inuyasha gang watched the scene in a confused silence, unsure of what had just occurred.

"That was weird; normally he can't wait to fight me for Tetsaiga." Inuyasha mused aloud after a long silence.

"I wonder if Ame has run into him yet." Kagome mused.

"Yes she has, that was her you saw leaving before Sesshomaru." Spoke a voice behind Kagome.

"Eep! Kaede you scared me." Kagome said startled by the old woman's sudden appearance.

"Feh. I knew she was there." Inuyasha huffed.

"Right." Kagome faced the priestess, "But why would she run away from us? Inuyasha was trying to help her."

"Ame is a strong and independent girl," Kaede was interrupted by a derisive snort from Inuyasha, "She has a preordained grudge against your brother Inuyasha."

"He'll destroy her before she could even lift her arm." Inuyasha replied hotly.

"Then she should have been dead yesterday afternoon, after she insulted him." Kaede shrugged.

"Then why isn't she?" Shippo asked.

"She managed to fend him off with some plants." Kaede led the way back to her village.

"Really? What kind of plants?" the excited fox asked.

"I think she used vines."

"So this Ame has power over plants and utilize ice at will? Wow, I really like this girl." Kagome said happily.

"Kaede! I have a ques…tion." Ame called out walking into the group.

"Hello child. Come in the hut before you catch cold." Kaede set a cup of tea into the American girl's hands. "Then we can go through introductions."

"Oh that's okay Kaede. I was just wondering where Sesshomaru's lands start." Ame became aware of the shocked stares everyone was giving her. "What?"

"Why would you want o know that?" Kaede asked.

"To finish what Nikki started." Ame shrugged nonchalantly.

"I cannot tell ye not to go, but there is no reason for you to antagonize the Western lord." Kaede said gravely.

"What is a puny human like you able to do to harm Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha challenged.

"Obviously more than you." Ame retorted sharply.

Before Inuyasha could do anything Kagome spoke up, "Inuyasha please don't be stupid. Ame is an American girl capable of handling herself." Inuyasha simply looked confused.

"Why do you travel with that demon?" Ame asked Kagome sharply.

"Inuyasha isn't like any other half demons and definitely not like Sesshomaru." Kagome began hesitantly, "And he helps me locate jewel shards."

"Oh." Ame shrugged in a bored manner.

"Oh! That's all you can say?" Inuyasha exclaimed, "I can beat that jerk Sesshomaru any time."

"My, my. Your ego is as big as your mouth. Oh well, just remember this hanyou, Sesshomaru is mine to kill." Ame shot Inuyasha a cold glare. "See you around Kaede."

"Where are you going wench?"

"West to find your Sesshomaru." Ame replied dryly and disappeared from view before the next question.

"I hope that girl knows what she's doing." Kaede sighed.

"Kaede who is this Nikki person?" Miroku asked, and everybody, save Inuyasha, looked at the old priestess.

"Nikki was an ancestor to Ame, who enchanted a suit of armor to get here."

"So Ame inherited Nikki's powers and came back to kill Sesshomaru?" Shippo asked a little confused.

"No, I think Ame studied what Nikki did, and her fight with Sesshomaru comes from the fact that he tried to kill her when she appeared in this time." Kaede explained, "I wonder why Sesshomaru could not sense her behind the armor."

"Sesshomaru is getting old." Inuyasha said.

"So are you Inuyasha," Kagome replied, "I can't sit here anymore, I need to talk with her. Aren't you coming Inuyasha?"

"Go by yourself." Inuyasha snapped.

"Normally you can't wait to leave Inuyasha." Sango spoke up.

"Its nighttime and you humans have trouble seeing in the dark." Inuyasha noticed the cold glare coming from Kagome.

"Sit boy!" Inuyasha hit the floor with a loud 'thump' as Kagome exited the small hut. Kagome was worried about Ame; she had noticed that the American did not have any shoes on. 'She needs some clothes to help ward off the cool night ahead.' Kagome spotted a peddler gathering up his wares and walked over to him.

"Excuse me sir, but do you have any kimonos and shoes?" Kagome asked sweetly.

"…uh… I sure do, just don't hurt me." The peddler shoved some of the asked for items at Kagome and hurriedly carted his stuff off.

Kagome did not have to turn around to know an angry Inuyasha was standing behind her. 'I don't see why he had to scare that guy,' She thought to herself, aloud she said, "I thought you weren't coming Inuyasha."

"Let's get this over with." Inuyasha growled. Kagome merely smirked at his back and followed the half demon.


	5. Chapter 5

American Rain

Ame knew she should not have run off like she did, but she really needed to find the lord of the west. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she never noticed the pond before her. In the middle of her musings, her foot connected with the water. Across the way there were two figures watching the redhead's progress. Kanna was watching Ame intensely, while her companion watched with morbid fascination.

"Naraku, are you sure this girl is worthy?" Kanna asked as Ame cursed the cold water.

"of course she is Kanna. I would not have anything less perfect working for me." Naraku gave his puppet a look of pure hatred.

"I only ask because she has such a strong and independent spirit. You would not be able to control her very easily." The nihility demon replied.

"you are right Kanna, I could not control her without breaking her first. That is why you are here."

"Yes Naraku?"

"befriend our red-haired power house Kanna, then leave the rest to me." Naraku said as he vanished.

Without a word Kanna ran over to Ame. "Excuse me miss, but could you please help me?"

Looking up from her now muddy foot, Ame frowned at the demon, "What are you doing out this late? You're too young to simply be wandering around at this time of night by yourself." Something did not feel right to Ame.

"Please, would you walk me back to my village?" Kanna reached for Ame's hand. Just then an arrow shot right between the two girls.

"Get away from her Kanna!" Kagome yelled as she notched another arrow.

Instead of welcoming the distraction, Ame lashed out at the oncoming duo. She summoned the pond's water as an offensive diversion. Ame lashed out at Inuyasha with a wave of water that forced him to drop Kagome in order to defend himself. Ame realized what Inuyasha did and gently cushioned Kagome's fall with a nest of vines, all the while continually splashing Inuyasha. The nihility demon had fled during the confusion.

"Can I be of some asistance…Kagome right?"

"yeah that's me, please leave Inuyasha be. So what were you and Kanna talking about?" Kagome asked as she stood up.

"we were just talking." Ame said defensively.

"I smell Naraku." Inuyasha said shaking the water from his person.

"Well that explains Kanna's appearance." Kagome stated the obvious.

Confused by the familiarity these two were talking about Kanna, Ame said, "Whatever, I'll catch you guys later." She began walking away.

"Wait! I have some things for you!" Kagome called out, running to the retreating Ame. "it's not much but it will help." Kagome offered the kimonos and sandals she had acquired.

"Gee…thanks." Ame took the clothes offered to her "but I don't have anything to carry them in."

"youre supposed to wear them not carry tehm." Inuyasha snapped.

"I am already wearing clothes inu-baka." Ame retorted, glaring daggers at the disgruntled hanyou.

"you call those clothes! You're hardly wearing anything!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"This is modest where I come from." Ame yelled back.

"Inuyasha! Kagome!" a child like voice yelled.

"Great here they come." Inuyasha muttered.

"hi my name is Shippo. And those three are Sango, Miroku, and Kilala." The little fox demon introduced eberybody.

"Great more urchins." Ame muttered to herself.

"Kagome. Inuyasha." Miroku said, "Why are you all wet Inuyasha?"

"Ame decided to let Inuyasha go for a swim." Kagome gigled.

"Ah Lady Ame, we meet again." The monk grabbed Ame's hand.

"get away from me you lecherous buffoon." Ame snarled and grasped the monk's wrist and flipped him towards Sango.

"This is my kind of girl." Sango smiled down at the unconscious monk.

"I had better be going. Thank you again Kagome for the clothes." Ame began walking away again.

"you really want to destroy him don't you?" Kagome asked quietly.

Ame paused and gave Kagome a sad smile, "I don't want to destroy him, but…it is really hard to explain."

All at once, Kagome thought she knew of what Ame was saying, but a shake of Ame's head had her wondering. Everyone else seemed oblivious to what the girls were talking about. Silently, Kagome watched Ame walk away.

Ame was grateful for the sandals Kagome had given her, but she still did not trust the girl. There was no way anybody would do something like this and not expect anything in return. She also could see how much the half breed meant to Kagome and wondered about their relationship. She smiled faintly to herself, she hoped Inuyasha realized how much he meant to Kagome before she killed him.

Ame vaguely recalled where she was when she stepped into her second puddle of the day. Unable to rid herself of the creepy crawly feeling she got when she was filthy. Ame found a more secluded spot and sunk deep into the water. 'my god its frickin' freezin'.' Ame thought before she closed her eyes. She wasn't aware of having actually fallen asleep until a twig snapped near her head. She looked up to see Kanna standing close to her.

"hello Kanna." Ame greeted the little girl, "I suppose the 'I'm lost.' Gig was just that. So who exactly do you work for?" Ame stood up and allowed the water to flow off her body before donning a kimono Kagome had given her.

"I am here to help you." Kanna went to help Ame figure out the kimono. "You look very pretty in this kimono."

Ame regarded the nihility demon; she knew Kanna was only here to help someone usurp her powers. Out of nowhere, a small child hurled them self at an unsuspecting Ame, pushing them both into a tree.

"Rin!" a voice called out.

"Master Jaken, Rin is here with Lady Ame." Te child called from within Ame's arms. "Lady Ame looks very nice in that kimono."

As Jaken appeared, Ame could not help but think about how she encountered every person she had hoped to avoid. The toad demon stood gawking at Ame through the bushes. Rin stood grinning at the redhead's side.

"Well here you go Jaken, Rin is safe and unharmed." Ame offered the human child to the speechless toad. "The two of you should probably be getting back to Sesshomaru."

Ame did not want to deal with Sesshomaru, so she fervently ushered his companions away from her. She really was looking forward to some peace and quiet so she could write down the poem that was floating through her head just then.

_Thru the torrid rains a legend appears,_

_Silent and cold, he embodies all my fears._

_His strength is unsurpassed thus, his ego grows._

_Will he ever get used to my magic shows?_

She smiled at the last line, Rin and Jaken were staring intently at her. They both seemed awed by the way she looked standing in the moonlight.

"Lord Sesshomaru would be most pleased to have Lady Ame at his castle." Rin smiled expectantly at Ame, as Jaken floundered in shock at the girl's audacity.

"Do not worry Jaken, I fear I must decline the invite." Ame smiled ruefully at the two before her.

"But lord Sesshomaru would love it if you came to see him." Rin begged.

Ame chuckled; she knew just how much Sesshomaru would love to have her at his castle. The easy chance to destroy her would make him more arrogant than he was at present. Fortunately, for her, she knew that refusing would leave Sesshomaru in a royal temper. "I am very sorry Rin, but I have other places to be. Besides, it looks as if Kanna does not appreciate your company."

"Who is Kanna?" the little girl asked. "Is she a friend of Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I don't think that she ranks high on your lord's list of acquaintances." Ame replied dryly.

"Are they a foe that is trying to gain some of the lord's lands? I must warn him immediately!" Jaken squawked and fled the scene. Rin waved goodbye and ran after the kappa.


	6. Chapter 6

American Rain

Kanna had not gone far from Ame's side when Rin and Jaken had appeared. She knew Naraku would not have been happy if Sesshomaru's henchmen had discovered her. Therefore, she waited patiently for them to leave, folding Ame's clothes.

"Here I thought you would have left for good." Ame smirked as she came upon the silver-haired demon.

"I am here to help you. I know of a place nearby where you can rest for the remainder of the night." Kanna handed Ame her mirror.

Refusing the mirror, Ame asked, "Could I get a pen and paper at this hut?" Kanna looked at her in confusion, as Ame grimaced at the thought of using ink and a brush, "they are writing utensils that I use to write with, but don't worry about it okay?"

"Come, you need to rest, and I will see if I can find these things that you require." Kanna said pulling Ame deeper into the night.

After having left Ame, Rin and Jaken almost collided with the demon they were in search of barely twenty yards from the pond Ame had been. The demon in question did not seem too pleased with their arrival, and resented it even more after catching Ame's scent mingled with Rin's scent.

"My lord! We have just come from the lowly red head's presence with information. I am afraid she uncovered a plot to attack your lands!" Jaken squawked.

"She also said that she could not come visit us at the castle." Rin said importantly.

"Hush child, such trivial matters do not concern the great lord Sesshomaru." Jaken snapped contemptuously.

"Did she say that Rin? I wonder who would attack my lands." Sesshomaru mused aloud much to Jaken's dismay and Rin's delight. He began walking in the direction the two companions had just come from.

Ame and Kanna had not walked far from the hot spring Ame had used to bathe in, when they came upon a lone hut along the roadway. Kanna knew the two people that were awaiting their arrival in the hut and that was the reason for the light coming through the windows. Ame knew that something was going to happen, still she walked calmly beside the demoness. As they neared the door of the hut, Ame noticed a slight change in the n nihility demon's walk. He allowed the girl in before her to announce their arrival. Ame followed Kanna in at the sound of her name, and seated herself across from the hanyou Naraku.

Sesshomaru had known that Ame would not still be at the springs, but he went there first. He caught her scent, subtle yet easy to distinguish amidst the stench of Naraku's puppet. He followed the blatant trail all the way to the lone hut. He could barely make out the number of shadows present against the light from inside the hut. At this point, he could not be sure if the redhead was still there or not; her scent was entirely masked by the scent of Naraku.

Inside the hut, Ame waited patiently for the thing before her to speak. The knowledge that he was not entirely human hung in the air. The cold, hate filled eyes casually perused Ame's person.

"Kanna. Kagura. Both of you leave us." Naraku commanded. Kanna bowed slightly and placed Ame's things next to the door before disappearing with Kagura.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your interest?" Ame asked coldly, giving the half demon a level glare.

"You have some powers that would benefit me." Naraku stated bluntly, "All you need to do is let me consume you. The process will be painless. I promise." Naraku said deviously.

"Sorry, but I don't think I can simply let you eat me for a few measly tricks. Besides, there is absolutely no incentive for me in this entire bargain." Ame gave a mock bow and stood to go.

"You don't really have a say in the matter." Naraku snarled and grabbed for Ame's hand. He never finished the motion thanks to the barrier Ame had erected around herself.

"I do apologize for the misunderstanding, but like I said: you will not be swallowing me anytime soon." Ame grabbed her stuff and gracefully exited from the hut. Just outside the door, she encountered Kagura and Kanna and blatantly disregarded their presence.

Her temper getting the best of her, Kagura growled, "You are a fool if you think you have seen the last of Naraku."

"I really don't care what that idiot does or doesn't do. Right now he's your problem, and I do not need his lackey relaying information I already know." Ame gave the wind demon an icy glare that cause Kagura to take a step back.

"Lady Ame. Here are the things that you requested earlier." Kanna extended a basket towards the redhead.

Ame cautiously peered inside to find pieces of parchment and ink with brushes. She gave the little demon a brief smile before taking the proffered gift. She placed her clothing inside as well and took off. As she walked away, Ame caught a brief glimpse of Sesshomaru peering from a clump of bushes.

Sesshomaru knew Ame had spotted him though she had not acknowledged his presence. He watched impassively as the hut disappeared when Naraku and his minions left. He realized then that Naraku had heard about Ame's powers and that was why the meeting had taken place. Sesshomaru knew that Naraku would stop at nothing to absorb Ame's powers. 'It is a good thing she is close to my lands then.' The taiyoukai thought grimly.

Rin had watched as Sesshomaru looked after Ame. She smiled to herself and did not think anymore about the demon's strange actions as they headed home. Jaken, however, had noticed the strange behavior and grew worried.

Ame walked until dawn began to stain the sky in pink hues and the land in shadows. She reveled in the clean, crisp morning air and wondered at the dew that glistened like jewels in the grass. Her fatigue was finally catching up to her, so she found a lone boulder and made camp on its surface. All throughout her walk, Ame had collected various twigs to use as writing instruments and was sharpening them against the boulder. Cautiously, she dipped one twig into a bottle of ink and began by writing the poem she had formed last night. (Same one that is in the last chapter) she was completely unaware of Jaken's approach.

Jaken had followed Ame and was now wondering how to proceed as she wrote. "Ahem." He cleared his throat to announce his presence.

"Well, if it isn't the little toady." Ame remarked crossly as she looked up.

"It is Master Jaken to you ningen!"

"You are not my master toad." Ame fired back hotly, throwing the kappa for a loop.

The toad was flustered at his apparent dismissal by the girl; carefully he approached the crouched figure. Without warning, he gave her head a decisive smack with his staff. Ame had seen the move coming and had braced for the impact of the wood against her skull. The kappa was crowing in delight at his ability to hit the young woman.

"That is enough Jaken, you have proven nothing. The witch could have dodged if she were not so eager to keep her clothes clean." Said a voice behind the kappa.

"Lovely morning isn't it Sesshomaru?" Ame greeted the youkai casually.

"Milord!" Jaken screeched, receiving a foot to the head for the noise.

As Sesshomaru had walked forward, Ame took a sharp breath. The backdrop of dawn colors gave Sesshomaru's eyes a heated look. His armor shone in different hues of blue and silver, and his hair took on an ethereal glow. Ame was hard-pressed to get a grip on her awe at the sight before her.

Sesshomaru had heard her intake of breath, and her heartbeat quicken. He was not sure what had brought on these strange responses from the female, so he gently removed the staff from her head. As he performed this simple task, his claws grazed her cheek, rousing the girl from her stupor rather abruptly. Dispassionately, Sesshomaru threw Jaken and staff off to the sides; he noticed the thin lines of blood the decorated her forehead from his claws.


End file.
